Sexual Health: My vagina sometimes hurts during and after sex. Why?

My vagina sometimes hurts during and after sex. Why?

The most common cause of pain during sex is vaginal dryness, so be sure you're fully aroused before you have intercourse and try a water-based lubricant. The condoms you're using could also be the culprit: You may have a latex allergy or be irritated by spermicide. Switch to polyurethane condoms without spermicide, says Kathleen Fitzgerald, MD, clinical associate professor of ob-gyn at Brown Medical School in Providence.

However, if you've determined that none of these is the cause of your discomfort, see your gyno. You may have an infection, such as yeast or bacterial vaginosis, or vulvodynia -- a hard-to-detect condition caused by misfiring of nerves around the vulva.